Gut Over Glory: Building a Career Grounded in Integrity

In this episode, host Stacy Joslin speaks with Rosemarie Timko, Global Vice President, Procurement Mars, Petcare (Science & Diagnostics), about the realities of leading in an environment defined by constant change. Through a career shaped by shifts across companies, roles, and major acquisitions, the discussion unpacks how navigating uncertainty, evolving priorities, and diverse operating models builds both perspective and resilience over time.

Transcript

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Welcome to Procurability's Procurement Pathways. A journey into the dynamic world of procurement told through the voices of its most trusted leaders. Here every story, every lesson, and every hard-won insight reveals how personal passion fuels professional impact. And how those moments taken together shape the future of our field. Today's guest is Rosemarie Timko, Vice President of Global Procurement for Mars Science and Diagnostic. Hello, Rosemary. Hey Stacy. How are you doing? So far, so good, you know? Good. No sense of complaining. That's right in my mind. That's right. Well, at least the weather's got to be beautiful there. I was thinking about you this morning and how it's you're in Hilton Head, right? It's supposed to be really beautiful there now. It is. Well, although unusually warm, we're, you know, already in that 90-degree weather. And uh, you know, I could I could use a few more, you know, 70s and low 80s, but here we are. I hear that. I hear that. It went from zero to hero pretty quick. Yeah. Yeah. Well, thank you so much for joining the podcast today. Thank you for saying yes to this. Um, it's been way too long since we chatted. Uh, and it was wonderful to reconnect with you in our first conversation for prep. So um I I really appreciate this, and I think people will learn a lot from it. Why don't we start by having you introduce yourself to our audience and tell us a little bit about you? Sure, perfect. And thank you for for having me and asking me to do this. It'll it'll be a good conversation and a lot of fun. Uh, Rosemarie Timko, I've been uh in the world of procurement for many decades. It's kind of sad, Stacy, when I think back of uh you know the career path and just how long it's all been, uh, but but an exciting journey. Uh I'm currently uh with Mars in their science and diagnostics division. I've been with Mars for the past 11 years, always within their pet care um division. And it's been a it's been a really great ride, a wonderful company to work for. I love the fact that it's privately held and very much family owned, and uh the family's a big, big part of what we do and participates a lot in the business itself, which makes it great. Uh but I you know started my procurement journey in kind of a by accident way, which I think if um, you know, if you're a Gen Xer back in the early 90s getting out of college, uh procurement was an unknown and certainly supply chain when there was no major for it or anything. So I graduated with a math major and thought I'd make my world in more finance uh and uh of course procurement is just that. Um, but started uh in the world of commodities and um in New York, where I where I grew up, and um uh did that for a number of years before I relocated to Pittsburgh, met my uh future husband back back in the day. He was a Pittsburger, and uh we met in Manhattan, but uh decided to go back there and uh and and get married and live there for quite a bit, and which I did for 21 years. Um and when I got there, I worked in uh state and commodities. I worked in uh an energy uh business. Natural gas was actually pretty big back in the day through through that region in Pittsburgh, uh, and started managing um some accounts for them. And one of my customers at the time was was Heinz, and uh big Pittsburgh business and well known, of course, uh, and really enjoyed working for them. I was buying gas for for their uh factories, for their for their locations uh and and what they were doing uh in their business. Um but I wanted to uh you know try my hand at something fun and and new. And back then it was this thing called reverse auctions and going into the marketplace and uh having our suppliers bid for business, and it just sounded so new and exciting. And uh that was a company called Free Markets, uh, which uh which is where we met and eventually became Ariba um before I ended up leaving in 2005, back then. But uh a wonderful place to really learn about what it means to uh be in a in a procurement type of environment. Um and I was leading uh at the time I was what we called ourselves market makers in the world of indirects, uh and never heard of indirect before, but learned real quick what that was about in the areas of spend that were called indirects. Um and you know, we managed uh we managed buying for these Fortune 500 companies, and it was just pretty cool to be able to do that and then bring them into an online environment to have them bid for business. So that was super exciting. Uh, Heinz became my customer again uh when they were part of um uh one of our business um uh customers' clients at Free Markets, and uh eventually I went to go work for them and I said, okay, you know, enough's enough. I know your business inside and out. So I went over and worked for for Heinz for 10 years, um, went over there in 2005. Um during that time at the very end was when they became a uh sold, sold themselves and became a private company under the equity private equity firm 3G. And um, you know, things changed, behaviors changed, and how I worked with my people and my supply base was very different than how I would have liked. Um and, you know, you you grow up in a in an environment where you run into the same suppliers over and over again, the same people that you work with over and over again, and uh reputation and integrity was super key. Um, and I didn't like the really the direction of where the business was going. So I decided to make a switch and went over to a company called Big Heart Pet Brands that was bought by Smuckers while I was there. So a lot of uh big names uh in a kind of a the CPG world, and uh that was my first entrance into the world of of pet care. Um Big Heart Pet Pet Brands was uh you know a big domestic North America uh pet food company and uh learned a lot about that market. Um and that led me to where where I am today with Mars. I started at Mars working for Royal Canaan, uh, and now in the science and diagnostics division of the business. So an interesting journey. Uh amazing how small of a world it is, though. A lot of the same people, no matter uh which company I worked for. And uh yeah, it's been a lot of fun, and here I am. It's stunning that all that time has passed, to your point. I still remember sitting in our little cube area listening to you talk on the phone to your mom in Italian. That's right. Yeah. I didn't speak Italian, but I was trying to listen in and just see if I could get a word or two because it just sounded so awesome. But and to your point about moving to to Heinz from having served Heinz, that happened a lot because by the time we were done with it, we knew so much about the client that it was just, you know, an easy, an easy hop to go from one to the other because you spend so much time working so closely with them. Um I think a lot of us did that. But it just it's reminded me now you've had not one, not two, but three acquisition situations in your career. Yes. Um, and I mean it started, I I didn't you know bring up, but the the trading company that I was with um was bought and sold several times. We were part of Solomon Smith Barney, then you know, Citigroup, and then um you know, with Fibro at the end. It it's yeah, you know, I feel like um I've been lucky to have experienced those changes. Uh, and I think dealing with change is a super important uh characteristic to have and work on in your career. Um and you have to have just a positive attitude that it'll somehow work out. And if it doesn't, there's always the next, the next opportunity, you know, it's just right around the corner. And I think um uh I really enjoyed the experience of it all, just having that change and seeing, you know, what's next. And you really learn what you like and what you don't like. And you can see it in the way companies run themselves as to whether it's the right fit for you and uh if you if you want to stay there. What are some of the things that uh would clue you in to whether it makes sense to stay or not? And I ask because there's a lot of this happening in the market right now, a lot of acquisition, a lot of companies becoming something else. And a lot of people who've been in a steady structure for a long time, s suddenly starting to see that their their place in the world is now completely changed. Because you mentioned and and you mentioned in the Heinz situation that you started to notice it was becoming something that didn't feel right and you knew the signs. What are some what are some of those signs, both positive and negative? Yeah, I think on the positive side, I'll start, you know, there, because there are a lot of great things that come with change. Um you you you learn a lot about how companies operate and how it can be different, and that there is more than one way, you know, to make things a success. And you and you have to have the ability to be open to that and and um appreciate, you know, a different way of getting to the finish line that delivers the same success, if not more, you know, if not better. And I think when you have those kinds of change and your leadership changes and they bring in a new way of thinking about it or you know, new structure to how you operate and do business, um, it's it's an opportunity for you to, you know, listen, to take it and uh you know, steal it, steal with pride and bring it into your own way of working and uh you know, better yourself and better your team and and make them stronger. So I that's a that's a huge plus when you're you know, especially if you've been somewhere for a very long time, you get into a rut. Sometimes you just think that's the way things are. And you know, you need to freshen up often and you know, kind of get get with what's going on with the game. But I'd say on the negative side, and you know, what I've seen is um there's some type of leadership that I just don't want to work for. Um and you know, for the most part, when I've left the job, it's been because of that. You know, they say your line manager really determines whether you stay or go, and it there is truth to that, and it's as well as your overall leadership. Um, if you know, if you've got leaders that, you know, what I experienced at Heinz, you know, we were a we were a public company, but very much family. Um, you know, Heinz, the reputation that they have, you know, you just felt like it was a small group of friends that are, you know, running a business and working together, which is what Mars is like as well. And you could make a difference, like you can impact that way of working and that structure. And I think um the change came when it when the change came in, it was about the bottom line only and uh the way that uh you treat your suppliers, you know, your partners that are there for you when things are not going well. Um, you know, if you change that and make it all about uh the the numbers, um, you know, the payment structure that you have, the discounts that you're getting, and bidding them out every year because uh, you know, you basically want to see and maybe make a move uh every year with a new vendor, you lose the ability to um to really build that strength of that relationship, to have that vendor really appreciate what you're making at the end of the day, what you're selling. To, you know, we we want our suppliers to go into a store, see the brand that they're helping to build, and pick it off the shelf and say, Yeah, I'm buying that because I know what's in it. I know, I know what they're about, and I I love them. And when you start to not treat that partner that way, you know, you get exactly that back. And uh, you know, you start, I started to see that, and that's not the reputation I wanted in this industry. Um, you know, as I mentioned, you come across the same people, you know, they switch jobs too, and you end up working uh once again with those people in another role. And um, you want them to be there for you just as much as you know, you'll be there for them. And uh that was um a direction that I didn't see coming uh when when the when the takeover happened back then. Um but and I stayed, you know, for several years uh under the new leadership before I finally said I just can't do it anymore. You know, I wasn't having fun. And you have to go to work and want to be at work. You're there more than you're home. Uh and you know, if you've got that kind of a feeling, then it's just not worth it. And you make the change. Exactly. I have two follow-up questions from that. On this podcast, we've talked a lot about people first leadership. At our last podcast with Howard Richmond, that was a big topic for us, how it's all about, you know, people aren't your most important asset, they're your only asset. And when you were talking about Heinz as a family enjoying going to work, having this little kind of work community that says so much about the morale of of who you're working with. But what we haven't talked about in the podcast is the external relationships. And I think that's such a wonderful and important point that our suppliers are our partners. They're they're not our vendors. They are working just as hard as we are to make success happen. They know so much about our organization and and also absolutely yes, our personal credibility comes into play when we're representing in a c a company that doesn't treat our supplier partners well. And that becomes a big part of that that decision. I imagine that was a big part of the decision for you when you weren't able to treat those partners the way that you felt they should be treated. Right. Yeah, absolutely. And you know, the feeling is the same with your, you know, the the team working for you, right? You you want to leave them in a place where um they're growing and you know that they're building those relationships as well. And if you don't see it from your leadership, then you know, you that's the message you send down the line. And um, you know, that's not the environment that I I want to be in, that I will be in. Um, and you know, I I I hire associates today that uh worked for me in the past and I call them up and I stay in touch. And if I can help them get a role somewhere else, I certainly will. And I think that's the community that you have to have in uh in supply chain in general. I think, you know, you have it, you mean you see it across sales, of course, but I think um in our industry, you know, we have a lot of confidentiality in what we do. You know, we see a lot of things in in our businesses, and um you have to build that kind of skill set amongst your team and and help each other out as well. It's exactly. It's all about the community. And we've talked a lot about that, the the importance of community, especially today when so many of us are remote, having each other's back and having those conversations and keeping in touch in that way. For sure. That's huge. That's huge. Curiosity question how long did it take you after that leadership change at Heinz to have that awareness that, wait a moment, I've I've just got to go. I think it was two years. Um, you know, I the the first year it was a lot of change, closing locations, letting people go. Uh, there was a lot of that going on. So those are the terrible times. Um and you're like, okay, you know, let's we'll we'll they've got a vision, we'll work and we'll restructure, we'll make it happen. Um, but then when things settle down and you start to see, you know, what the longer term strategy is, and you know, that's not where I wanted to be long term. Um, and you know, at that point it was uh a definite for me that you know I wasn't going to stay. You kind of feel it in your gut. You just yeah, you just you know, you you never want to work someplace where sometimes you feel like you just want to go home and take a shower because you know it was that dirty of a day. And you had moments like that, you know, where you're just like, ugh, I'm not doing this anymore. And uh yeah, that's pretty much how it was at the end. You know, and and no disrespect to, you know, there I have a lot of friends still there, and no disrespect to those that, you know, work it out and and and get through it. I mean, they find a way, and and not everybody was in a position maybe that I was in, and what I could see and and how how I was working, but um, and it's a you know, listen, the brands are still awesome. You know, I'd I buy nothing but hindsketchup, no doubt. But uh, you know, but that's not where I want to go to work every day. So, you know, you make those changes. That's it. That's it. And it's you there's such an emotion attached to that. And think about the change that they've had since. So when you left, it was owned by a um a third party, right? Yeah, so I left before the uh Kraft Heinz marriage happened. So, you know, that was another, you know, major. I mean, there's always you know major acquisitions. I mean, Mars, we just had it, you know, our acquisition was Kelanova, was was an amazing one for us. Um, but you know, you're building like two giant worlds now and and bringing them together. And that was the Kraft Heinz was the same way. You know, Smuckers acquiring Big Heart, not not as dramatic. We were kind of the, you would think we're kind of the small one, but we made up a third of their their future business. So it's like you look at these acquisitions and how they change a company as well. And um, you know, that was a that acquisition, Kraft and Hines, although I wasn't part of it then, I still lived in Pittsburgh when it happened, and the the turmoil of what it did even to the city of Pittsburgh, right? I mean, you're there, you were there, you I'm sort of felt it, or you know, from the free market states, it's like, what's gonna happen to our city? You know, if this is Heinz. But all the Pittsburgh native, yes, and you know Heinz is just so, you know, woven into the infrastructure of the city. It's almost like Iron City beer, you know? Same thing. Exactly, right? Yeah. So, you know, those are big life-changing moments, and um, you know, things aren't going to be the same. It's just how, you know, what does it mean to you in your day-to-day? How are you going to react to it? And does it sit well with you? You know, it goes back to those the integrity and and the way of doing business. Is that how you want to live your life? And is that how you want to operate? And if the answer is no, you then you know, you're free to make the change. So make the change. Exactly. Exactly. And sometimes you have to turn off your brain and turn on your gut. Because even if your brain is saying, okay, maybe there's more stock coming, the bonus will be big, you know, whatever it is, if it's not feeding you, you know, I hate to say all woo-woo about it, but if it's not kind of feeding your soul as a professional, then then it it doesn't work. Right. And you can try to affect change to some degree to get it back to where it should be. But if it falls on deaf ears, if the leadership isn't listening, then then that's a decision that you have to make. On the flip side of that, we talked about the the partnership piece with external parties. We've talked about the personal piece in navigating change. What about as a leader? Because I I I think you've been a a a people leader for many years, and I think you'd be such an awesome people leader. Um how what have you learned and what have you done in all of these different acquisitions and comp company changes that have spelled success for your teams in terms of keeping them whole? Yeah, I you know, I think one of the ways that I like to lead is um with uh a very open, open conversation, open book policy. And um, anyone who's worked for me or or with me will know that you're you're gonna know what I'm thinking and you're gonna hear you know me say what's on my mind at all times. And I expect the same back. Um, and I think my my team has always appreciated that, that it's it, you know, I'm not gonna sugarcoat things, but I'm also not going to linger around and have that affect me or the way I work with you going forward. Uh it's like to me, you're you are family. It's like how I would talk to my brother, is how I'm going to talk to you. And some days it's going to be rude, and some days it's going to be like the you're not even going to know who I am because it's so sweet. But it's going to be that kind of a conversation. And uh, you know, if I know something, I share it. Um obviously there's things that you have to keep in confidence based on you know what level in the organization it's coming from. But um, you know, to me, it's it's being open and honest with the team so that they know um what's happening, um, you know, giving them responsibility. I I am not a micromanager whatsoever. Um, but I have expectations from my team too, that they're doing what they're supposed to, and I don't have to watch you. So if um if that's not happening, then you know you're gonna you're gonna hear from me on that one too. Um and you know, I've had the pleasure of of bringing people into other jobs when I've moved. I've certainly gone and and hired some folks from my old job and brought them over and um you know had some some ability to to help them through their careers. And I think that um when they leave, they stay in touch. And I really like that too. I love to see, you know, interns that worked for me, you know, at Heinz that are now C O O. Of companies, and you know, I could be working for them and have no problem with it because I know they're good people, I know how they operate, um, and um, you know, it's it they're quality folks. And that's that's how I've always kind of leaded, and um, and I like that. You know, I love to see people develop um when they're when they're on my team into into new and future roles um and stay, you know, working alongs alongside me, you know, in companies as well. So within Mars, I've had um the pleasure of leading different teams in different segments of our business. And um, you know, you you stay in touch and and hopefully, you know, you get to work with them again in a very different capacity. Uh, and uh that's happened, yeah. So I really do like that. Good people over and over again. And what you just said is like a leadership mic drop um around being real, treating them as family, being open, and just having having a familial approach. That's that's how it's done. There's one other thing, so I want to go back to one thing that you just mentioned that was kind of for me a leadership mic drop, and that was around the fact that you are delighted to see people that used to work for you moving into leadership roles, and you would be happy to be able to work for them. That is one simple statement, but it says so much about ego-free leadership that when you get to you know, where we are, we've been working since, you know, we met in 2001 or whatever it was. When you get to a certain point in your career, it's not about your your escalation, right? If you're a leader, it's about empowering the next generation of leaders and celebrating the next generation of leaders. And I just, I just want to take a minute to applaud that statement because not a lot of leaders think that way. Yeah, that's that's sad that they don't, because you do get to a point in your career where, you know, of course you want to make money, that's why you work. Um, but you know, you're also, you know, we I make an you know, I make good money. That's great, but I don't need to be president, right? I don't need the ego of being like this title on my name that says, you know, everybody works for me. I want to go to work and I want to love what I do, I want to add value and I want to do it with good people that, you know, I could also, when I'm not busy, have a cup of coffee with and want to actually hang out a little bit and chit-chat and just see what's going on. And I think if you're if you get to that point where you just aren't that way and you're just kind of an elitist in what you do day in and day out, then that's a in my mind a pretty lonely existence, right? I don't want to go into an office and shut the door. I want to sit in the middle of the room with uh, you know, no walls and you know, have the conversation across my cube to another one or in a circle and you know, hear what people are talking about and see how I can help. And I hope somebody does that for me too, if they hear, because I talk to myself all the time, Stacey. So I'm sure everybody knows what I'm working on when I'm in an office. And uh, hey, if they have something to say that can help me, please do. Uh, because you know, somebody's got to answer me besides myself. So help me out. But that's the atmosphere that um, you know, that I want. And I know that the people that have worked for me that um, you know, are in in these roles that are promotable, they're people I'd want to do that with. So so why not? You know, they know me and I know them, and that's the best environment to work in. Right. And that's success, right? Seeing that happen makes you understand that what you've done has helped somebody else, has brought education, you've helped them navigate all the change that you're talking about, and made them a better professional in a in a whole lot of ways. Yeah. And you see the same, you know, in how they lead their teams. You know, you see it being passed on. And you know, that's that's great. That's maturity. You know, you kind of see how it all passes down to that next generation of workers and how they're operating, and uh hopefully they do the same. 100%. 100%. I have one remaining question on each one of these acquisitions. And so we talked about the free markets to Ariba slash Accenture acquisition. So that was first, and then we had the Heinz to third party acquisition prior to the Kraft Heinz merger. And then we had the Big Heart to Smuckers acquisition for each one of those, what was the biggest learning in procurement, leadership, or partnership in any way? What was the biggest professional learning you took away? Either because it was excellent behavior, it was not the best behavior, whatever it is, what was the best learning that you took away from each one of those? I I think it's um I'd say it's I mean, it's a good question. I I think it every situation's a little bit different as to you know what what is that acquisition trying to deliver at the end of the day. But I think it's getting your team to feel um safe during those periods of time. Uh there's so many meetings happening around you, so many people walking through the hallways and you know, coming and going. And there's um change that's definitely coming, whether it be from an HR point of view, um places closing, you know, relocations, to how are we going to work with certain vendors? Are things going to change? Does somebody else now have to approve everything I do? So I think all of that is um is inevitable during those periods of time. But how do you make those around you feel safe? That you know, they're they're in a in a place where they're going to still be there the next day, as far as you know, um, or that you know, you've got their back if they're not, you know, to help them through it, to bring them somewhere else or you know, look for that next job, whatever it might be during those changes. But there's just this this uh turmoil that goes on um during all of that that change. And um, you know, how how you control it and make it seem as normal as it possibly can, that that's that's where I think as a leader you need to focus. Because it's just um it's just so maybe it could be all that people think about and it it could just you know ruin them in their current like give the wrong impression or just just not make them feel like they're part of the change, that they're just letting it happen. And like you said before, sometimes if you're a leader, you're privy to information that the rest of the girls' organization doesn't have. So there's a certain unknowingness, like when we were, you know, manager level people at free markets, there was certain information that we weren't privy to, not knowing what was going to happen. So just kind of almost as a counselor, yeah. I mean being there for the teams. That's that's what you need to be in those moments, is um, you know, a support system of sorts, right? Because you you just um there's a lot you don't know, and I think it's okay. You just have to learn how to deal with it. Right. That's beautiful. I have one more question for you today. And that one is around guidance. So, what would be your key piece of advice, one key piece of advice from your own procurement pathway that would help others along theirs? Um, I I think to me it it's curiosity. And it you you need to be curious in what you do. Um, if you're going into a role or going into a new business or you know, being asked to do something new, and you just assume that what you're being told is the way, or you know, it is a job description, and that's all that you're going to go by, then you you're not going to really live your best life at the office, right? It's just not going to work. I think you need to be curious and understand the why behind um everything that's being asked of you, and and then put your two cents into it. Uh, you know, make it yours and and influence things that are happening around you. Um so that you know, you've got to say, and it feels more like it's it's your part, it's your part of it. It's it's you that's helping to make things better and um and influence that change. So to me, and I look for that in the people that I hire, you know, I don't I don't need yes people and I don't need those around me that just think that there's only one way to make it happen. I want you to kind of question things, um, understand what it is that you're doing, you know, really dig into it a bit and get get curious about what it is that you're doing every day. It's not just a process, it's not just pen to paper. You have to really think about things and you know, put your mind at work. Absolutely. And challenge too. I love it when people challenge me. Yep, for sure. And I think you you can just live life by the book or you can write the book. I like to write a book. Well, that's that's the way to end this episode right there. Oh, is there anything else you'd like to share with us today, Rosemary? No, I think this is fun. Yeah, this has been great. And it's always great to connect. And it it's relationships like this, Stacey, that you're right. It's been over 20, I don't know, 25 years or so, but um, you know, pick up right where you left off. And um, I think good people always uh always end up uh in great places in life as as you have. And I really appreciate you asking me to do this for you. Right back at you, Rosemary. And to evidence what you were saying, I feel like we just picked up a conversation that we dropped when I left 25 years ago. And uh real people, good conversation, and uh ghost dealers. Absolutely. Thank you so very much. All right, thank you. Appreciate it. For more than 30 years, procurability has been the leading provider of procurement and supply chain services, delivering best in class advisory, managed services, digital, and talent solutions across industries. Global organizations trust us to transform their procurement operations, drive growth, and reimagine what's possible. To receive our latest thought leadership, subscribe to Procurability's Insights at procurability.comslash insights.